Venezuela looks for Missoni plane

THE search for a missing plane carrying Italian fashion executive Vittorio Missoni and five others has entered its third day with no sign of the aircraft.

Venezuela's government says authorities won't call off the search involving the National Civil Aviation Institute, Coast Guard and Navy until they find the BN-2 Islander plane that disappeared off the country's coast and all of those who were on board.

"All the authorities involved in these tasks are not reducing the intensity of the search until they locate the plane as well as its crew and passengers," the government said in a statement on Sunday.

It said search teams are using a plane and two helicopters as well as several coast guard vessels and 29 divers.

The small, twin-engine plane was reported missing hours after taking off on Friday from Los Roques, a string of islands and islets popular among tourists for their white beaches and coral reefs.

The plane was carrying the CEO of Italy's iconic Missoni fashion house, his wife, two Italian friends and two Venezuelan crew members.

Officials from Venezuela's civil aviation agency have said authorities declared an alert after the plane didn't make contact with the control tower at the Caracas airport or with the tower in Los Roques.

It had been expected to arrive at Caracas' Simon Bolivar International Airport 42 minutes after take off.